United Way Shifts to Long-Term Hurricane Harvey Recovery [Opinion]

A neighborhood is inundated by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey near east Interstate 10 in Houston on Aug. 29, 2017.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Seven months have passed since Hurricane Harvey brought unprecedented disaster to the Houston area. Since then, dedicated volunteers and staff at United Way of Greater Houston have been hard at work on recovery efforts. At the time of the storm, United Way invested in first responders to meet critical immediate needs. Now we are focused on long-term recovery, which will take three to five years.

Thanks to generous donors, United Way raised $47 million in flood relief funds. While significant, these funds are no match for the unprecedented need. We see the many people who continue to endure living in a storm-damaged home, being displaced from a home or losing a job.

United Way so far has invested $11.7 million from the flood fund and served more than 44,000 families. To effectively allocate funds, an experienced, all-volunteer task force employs a multipronged approach focused on: 1) providing basic needs of food and shelter 2) managing individual recovery through dedicated professional case managers, 3) funding minor home repair and 4) assisting with unmet needs.

Making the most of donations is fundamental to United Way's approach. One way we do this, during normal times or in disaster recovery, is to facilitate collaboration with other organizations.

In each of the four counties we serve, United Way helps convene long-term recovery committees made up of county, city, federal disaster relief agencies, nonprofits and faith-based organizations. We work alongside these committed individuals and organizations to identify challenges, maximize resources and create solutions.

Our disaster recovery experience has taught us that case managers are vital. These skilled social workers help people navigate the complex process of finding and gaining access to recovery resources. To get the process started, United Way invested $2.9 million within two weeks of the storm to provide 140 case managers.

Despite our efforts and those of other recovery organizations, a severe shortage of disaster case managers remains. To address this need, United Way recently secured additional disaster case managers to help fill this critical gap, which was created in part because federally contracted case managers were delayed from December until April.

Taking steps like this one to cover the immediate need for case managers presents a delicate balancing act. Funds that United Way spends now mean less money available for other services such as minor home repair and unmet needs. These are gaps where United Way helps when other funding may not be available. Replacing a refrigerator or a bed, for example, can be pivotal in helping a family return to some normalcy.

An equally important role in recovery is filled by 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE. United Way 2-1-1 provides free information and referrals for a wide range of needs, answering phone calls 24/7 in more than 200 languages.

Last year, United Way 2-1-1 answered an all-time high of more than 1 million calls. Of those, 366,000 calls were related to Harvey. Since the storm, 2-1-1 has connected 3,557 Harvey-impacted neighbors with case management services. Currently 2-1-1 continues to help Harvey-related callers by collecting the information needed to start the process, advising them about the case management delay noted earlier and working with agency partners to connect them with help as quickly as possible. United Way 2-1-1 also provides a reassuring human voice, a listening ear and someone who asks questions to uncover other ways a family might need help.

Through 2-1-1 and all its recovery efforts, United Way addresses large scale challenges. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of the individuals who need our help, and we find joy in their success stories. Consider Danielle, a single mom who lost her apartment and her job. Her call to United Way 2-1-1 connected her to an area assistance ministry that found her family another apartment and helped her find a job.

Danielle's is the kind of recovery story United Way works for every day. To continue to help in the work of recovery, we ask you to spread the word about 2-1-1 as a resource for recovery help. If you are among those generous folks who support United Way, we thank you. If you haven't supported United Way, please consider making a gift to support United Way's work.

During the storm, Houstonians showed the world in heroic fashion that we take care of our neighbors in need. Now after the storm, we continue to exemplify that same Houston spirit. When our neighbors need help, whether in the short-term or long-term, Houstonians do something about it.

Liberato is a partner at Haynes and Boone and chair of United Way of Greater Houston Hurricane Harvey Recovery Task Force. Babin is president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Houston.